Awakening a Sleeping MG

Back in 1995, I took my Vermillion Red 1979 MGB roadster off the road so its speedometer wouldn't "roll over"; it had just passed the 96,000 mile mark. She was my daily driver during good weather for as long as I can remember, and she had never disappointed me or left me stranded. Before I retired her, however, I redid her body with a beautiful new paint job. And, I properly prepped her for her hibernation. Now, almost 10 years on and even though I went through all the proper steps to store her, I'm not sure that it was such a good idea to just park her in a corner of my garage.

Why? Because, as Jerri and I look forward to my retirement and the "15,000 Mile Circle" trip through the western part of the US, Canada, and Alaska that we've planned to celebrate that event, I want Vermillian Red to be part of it. She'll be the dinghy towed behind our RV on a purpose-built trailer. However, she's an old girl who will need some serious prepping to make the trip and perform as she did every day of her life. I've got to overcome 10 years of sleep to ensure Jerri and I enjoy her like we did "back in the day".

At the same time, I'm going through all her systems to ensure we will have fun with her, lots of my fellow MG-dom citizens are also wrestling with the same situation - bringing an old car back to life. I have standard things I do to all the old cars I acquire to see if they're gonna be restorable or are gonna rest in peace in my MG Graveyard. I also kept a listing of everything I did to Vermillion Red when I put her up so those have to be reversed.

With all that in mind, I decided to develop a comprehensive checklist for "Awakening a Sleeping MGB". Every car and every situation is different but if you follow my checklist, you'll have no trouble reviving a well sorted out car. [Ed. Note: While this checklist is written for reviving an MGB in particular, the procedure should be fairly similar for any classic cars of a similar vintage that have been in long term storage, especially other British cars as they share many similar design features.]

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Remember, however, Vermillion Red was in excellent condition when I put her up. I had, from day 1, always done all maintenance as outlined by British Leyland in my owners handbook, had made any repairs necessary with quality, OE parts, and had kept her 100% original. She never had anything except 93-octane pumped into her gas tank, I always used either 10W-40 or 20W-50 Castrol in her engine and tranny, and she was never wrecked or abused.

And, I'm gonna lavish the same amount of time and energy bringing her back to life. This won't be a quick Saturday afternoon of sticking a battery in her, squirting some starter fluid up her carb and firing her up. This will be a methodical refurbishment of all her operating systems.

As always, I keep a Bentley manual open to the section on which I'm working to ensure I don't miss a step. And, my checklist is not designed as a step-by-step guide for how to accomplish each item. It's only a tool to remind me of what to do, not how to do it.

So, Let's Wake Her Up:

Put the car on 4 jack stands & remove wheels.

If there was an old battery in her, remove it to exchange as a core for a new battery.

Engine Compartment

Disconnect fuel lines at carbs.

Remove spark plugs & turn engine over by hand checking for compression at each spark plug hole (I'm not interested in the amount of compression, just that I still have it!)

Install new battery (DO NOT ATTEMPT TO START ENGINE!)

Turn ignition key on & allow fuel pump to drain any gas remaining in the tank (in the event you didn't drain it before laying car up, you'll probably have 'dead' gas in there.)

If fuel pump doesn't operate, stop & rebuild fuel pump and repeat process of draining gas tank. While you're under there, replace all flexible gas lines to fuel pump.

Adjust valves.

Change engine oil and filter. (In cold months, I use 10W-40 Castrol; in warm months, I use 20W-50 Castrol.)

Install new, properly gapped spark plugs.

Rebuild distributor (if electronic, check manual closely).

Install new spark plug wires.

Check the ignition circuit for proper operation (AGAIN: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO START ENGINE! At this point, all I want to know is if I have 'fire' at the plugs.)

Drain all fluids (radiator, engine, transmission, rear end, brakes/clutch)

Inspect radiator for signs of leakage (the proper way to store a radiator is with anti-freeze inside; you can tell if there's been any leakage by the tell-tale wierd, green patina on the core or along the edges of the tanks.). If there are signs of leakage, remove radiator for cleaning, pressurizing, and repair.

Back flush the engine cooling system to remove any built-up crud.

Replace engine thermostat.

Remove the plug in the water pump & add a bit of grease.

Remove all belts from front of engine.

Bench check alternator/generator for proper operation.

With proper spray cleaner, clean all Lucas wiring harness connectors. Once cleaned, coat them with a LIGHT film of conductive grease (I mean every one you can see with the hood up! Take 'em apart & clean both ends of the bullet connectors). Pay especially close attention to the fuse block.

Replace all belts with new ones and reinstall alternator/generator.

Reinstall the radiator along with all new hoses.

Fill windshield washer tank.

Refill the cooling system with the proper mixture of water and anti-freeze.

Remove carbs & rebuild/clean them as necessary. Replace air filters.

Inspect engine mounts & replace as necessary.

Replace all fuel/vacuum lines in engine compartment.

Replace fuel filter.

If so equipped, renew all emissions items to include recharging charcoal canisters. If equipped, remove the hoses from the air pump & spray lithium grease up inside the pump.

Turn engine over with ignition switch to check compression (AGAIN, DO NOT START ENGINE YET!)

Underneath Car - Front

Remove front rotors & check for warpage.

Turn or replace rotors as necessary.

Check calipers for proper operation.

Replace all flexible brake lines.

Install new brake pads.

Underneath Car - Center

Replace fluid in transmission with the same oil you put in engine.

Grease universal joints/check for looseness.

Inspect transmission mounts & replace as necessary.

Visually inspect exhaust for rust/holes, proper installation, etc.

Visually inspect underside of car for rust.

Lubricate hand brake.

Clean all Lucas wiring harness connections & coat with a LIGHT film of conductive grease.

Underneath Car - Rear

Remove brake drums. Visually inspect & replace/turn as necessary.

Replace wheel cylinders (NO! Don't even try to repair - just replace them!)

Install new brake shoes.

Replace flexible brake line on passenger side of car.

Drop gas tank & visually inspect for rust.

Remove gas sending unit & check for free operation of arm.

Have gas tank boiled/cleaned as necessary (I take mine to my local radiator repair shop).

Install cleaned & newly painted gas tank.

Replace all flexible fuel lines to fuel pump/gas tank.

Fill rear end with SAE 90 Gear Oil.

In trunk, if so equipped, replace flexible lines to vapor separator & gas tank.

Don't take off jack stands yet!

Put fresh gas in tank & pressurize fuel system to carbs.

Clean all Lucas wiring harness connections & coat with a LIGHT film of conductive grease.

Top off brake & clutch master cylinders.

Bleed clutch slave cylinder & check for proper operation of clutch.

Bleed brake system starting with driver rear wheel.

Reinstall wheels & adjust rear brakes.

FIRE 'ER UP!

Allow oil pressure to come up & note where it stops at idle.

Allow car to idle until temperature has come up to normal operation range.

Make any adjustments to carbs or timing.

Depress clutch & verify its proper operation.

Check operation of transmission through all gears.

Check operation of hand brake.

Check operation of wheel brakes.

TURN ENGINE OFF.

Visually inspect for any leakage along gas, clutch & brake lines, at wheel cylinders & calipers, in cooling system.

Install & balance new 185x70R14 tires (tubes also if wire wheels) - HEY! They're probably dry rotted!

Install wheels, adjust rear brakes & take car off jack stands.

Body

Check operation of all exterior lights.

Replace windshield wiper blades & check operation of wiper/washer system.

Spray lithium grease door, hood, & trunk hinges and latching mechanisms.

Install one of GEM Enterprises' emergency hood latches.

Lubricate top bows, seat rails & adjusters.

Check operation of all dash, interior, & trunk lights and switches.

Clean all Lucas wiring harness connections & coat with a LIGHT film of conductive grease.

Engine Compartment

After engine has cooled down, readjust valves.

Check/refill cooling system as necessary.

Check engine oil level.

NOW, it's time for a short test drive. Once around the block only. While driving, pay particular attention to status of gauges, check for proper operation of brakes, watch for tell-tale signs of smoke from exhaust.

Back in the Garage

Recheck all engine fluid levels.

Check belt tension.

Check clutch & brake master cylinder levels (look for signs of leakage in engine compartment, under dash, and on garage floor under car).

Put car on jack stands.

Recheck rear brake adjustment.

Tighten lug nuts (or wire wheel center cap).

Put her on the ground.

At this point, feel free to drive down to the nearest filling station and fill up with 93-octane gas. I know, I know! Some of you are going to tell me that's not necessary. But, hey, that's all I ever put in my cars. I personally feel its needed all the time but should be used at least once every few tanks full.

Then, after a good wash, wax, and interior detailing, she's ready for daily use. From this point on, follow the maintenance guidelines in your owner's manual. Enjoy! Tony